Vulnerable
by Jck'sBrknHeart
Summary: A young divorcee who has been scorned by her ex is not willing to give love a second chance - until she meets a Duck.
1. Divorce Happens

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Disney, The Mighty Ducks, Charlie Conway, or other characters related to the movies. I also do not own Joshua Jackson, the actor who played Charlie Conway in the movies, although if I did I would be quite the happy camper. I **do** own any original characters, including Michael and Skyler Lions, and the plot, so don't steal them, savvy?

**Author's Note: **No, there are no Ducks in this first Chapter, but this is significant to the story being the beginning and all. Please just read this. Chapter Two has some of the main Duckies in it, I promise The title is also tentative, being as I can't think of what to call this story. If you have any ideas, please don't be afraid to help a girl out.

* * *

"That's right, divorce. You heard me correctly!" She exclaimed, throwing a large book at her significant other. (Ironically enough, that book was her family's 70 year old bible. The very book that established the rights of marriage.) Clearly, the woman of only twenty-four years was not at all happy. Quite the contrary, actually; the woman was enraged.

"As in, you and me, not together anymore?" Her husband, a once bright twenty-six year old questioned. His naive brown eyes were gazing at her. This was what he had been waiting for, but now that he got her to breaking point, he wasn't so sure that he wanted her to leave.

"Yes, dumbass. You and I divorced, no more Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lions. No more faking the happy couple bullshit," She complained, seething. "No more of your dumb buddies waking me up in the middle of the night puking in the plants instead of the trashcan, okay? I am done with you and you're insincerity!"

He stared at her, intently, "So you're saying we really are done. Divorce papers, and all?" The man looked over the packet of papers she had previously handed to him that night. They were all signed by her, in that neat little cursive of hers, this forced a sigh from him. He seemed depressed for the first time since as far back as she could remember, "I can't believe you're really leaving me."

She growled and hastily pulled her black peacock coat off the rack. She pulled it so harshly that the whole thing came clattering down in a mess that Michael would have to clean up. She was moving out and she was getting a divorce. That was one thing she had been positive that she would never do; at one point, Michael and herself had been perfect. They loved every minute they were around each other. They had sex every night, and it wasn't just sex, it was mindblowing love-making. Alas, that had all came crashing down the moment she walked in on Michael and Elizabeth. Michael and she had grown distant and they didn't want the same things anymore. He clearly wanted someone else, and she just wanted to be left alone.

The young woman knew exactly where she was headed for on a night like this. Her second favorite place in the world - **Duff's**, a bar a mere six blocks from her house. She knew that Michael would go looking for her there, but at the moment, she couldn't care less. She wanted a beer, and she wanted it now. He couldn't take that away from her, not like he took her happiness away at least. Even as miserable as she was, she still smiled when the cyan neons of the bar came into sight.

The black tile floor and oaken bar greeted her eyes as she made a bee-line for a stool at the end of the bar. The bartender, who was some-what busy, recognised the young woman and quickly made a drink for his customer then headed straight to her. He eyed her appearance; it was not up to her usual standards. Her golden blonde locks were dishelved, her eyeliner was smeared, and she was wearing a thin blue teeshirt with her high school's name & mascot plastered on it, as well as a pair of stained hole-ridden jeans. Even despite all this, he could still call her the most beautiful girl in the bar.

"A Sam Adams?" He questioned, causing her to look up from her hands.

"No, Corona. What's up with that Sam? Forgetting my drink and all. It hasn't been _that_ long."

He raised a brow, "Yes, it has." He pulled a Corona from a fridge and stuck a lime in the bottom before sliding it to his friend. "So Skyler, what's wrong?"

"I asked Michael for a divorce. . . Scratch that, I **demanded **a divorce," She replied, taking a nice long swig afterwards. Her usually teal eyes were a morose gray as they met his deep brown ones, "So I handed him the papers that I had signed, and he had the nerve to stare at me as if I was the bad guy. It was like he really believed that I fucked up."

"Do you regret it? I'm sure you can patch things --"

"It's not a matter of patching things up, Sam. I'm not regretting one single minute of our last argument. I don't care what happened. I'm pissed off that Michael put me in this position. I'm pissed that I have to get divorced. I mean, you know what it was like for me growing up. I swore to myself that a divorce would never be in my future," She explained, seeming angrier than before.

Sam shook his head, "It's not your fault. Michael wasn't right for you. You needed to be swept off your feet and kept swept off and he couldn't do that? So what? It happens. **Divorce happens**."

She shook her head, "Isn't that too much to ask? I mean, he couldn't possibly make me fall in love with him all over again every day. He didn't have that kind of dedication to me, and I knew that from the very start. I knew that since high school when I met him. Yet, somehow I thought he would be there always. I thought he could do that, but now I realize it was too much to want from someone."

"It's not too much too ask, Skye, you just have to hold on. Love will come for you, I mean look at you. You're a knock out."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the man, "Sam, never say that again. Don't ever hit on me again."

He laughed, "I'm sorry Skyler, but it's true. You're gorgeous. If you had half as much confi--"

"Skye! Skyler, don't just sit there and ignore me. I am still your husband, you know?" There was his voice. **Michael, her personal pain in the ass**.

"Another beer, quick!" She exclaimed, downing the rest of the first. She wasn't ready to fight in a public place, in fact, she didn't even want to. She wanted to just quietly fade out of Michael's life, and mind, as easily as she had out of his heart, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. She knew he wouldn't go down without a fight, but she refused to let him keep her miserable.

"Can't you just **talk **to me? I mean, we've known each other a long time and --" Michael began.

A lofty sigh escaped from her lips, "We've known each other for a long time, and we both know that I'm not the girl for you. Let's face it Mike, you've been begging me to hand you those papers for months now; it's just that since I finally have, you're not so sure that this is what you want. You think you want me to be around because you're afraid of the change. You're afraid of being a bachelor and having all kinds of skanky fans over you because I won't be there to fight them off anymore."

She took another gulp of the ice cold beer, and looked over at her soon-to-be exhusband. He looked exsasperated, uninformed, and confused. It seemed out of character for him to be so distraught, "Michael I know you like the back of my hand. You know you want this just as badly as I do, so take it gracefully, or take it like a man - either way. Just stop looking at me like that. It's depressing, and I've been depressed enough lately."

Michael took a look at Sam, "Give me a shot of whiskey, then I'll be out of here."

Sam nodded and produced a shot glass, then a bottle of Jack Daniels; he poured the shot and slid it to Michael, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. After the shot was down his throat, Michael threw a five on the counter and left without saying a word to Skye or to Sam. He just left, and finally, he walked out of her life.


	2. Depressed Again

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bob Dylan lyrics. Nor do I own the Mighty Ducks, Disney, or anything affilated with this story other than the plot line and any original characters that may pop up here and there.

**Author's Note: **Portman appears at the end of the chapter, so I'm expecting at least _one_ review. That would be nice. I'm sorry it's so slow. Divorce is a hard thing, it takes time. Apparently, it does the same thing in a story. Whodathunkit?

* * *

_So long honey, babe  
Where I'm bound, I can't tell  
Goodbye's too good a word, babe  
So I'll just say fare thee well  
I ain't saying you treated me unkind  
You could have done better but I don't mind  
You just kinda wasted my precious time  
But don't think twice, it's all right._  
**Bob Dylan 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright' **

The young woman knelt down on the sidewalk and aimed the lens of her professional camera towards a street sign that said 'Courage St.' and an older african-american gentleman who had a huge grin on his face. She smiled lightly and snapped a picture, then took her time to look at the screen. "Looks good," She murmured.

A more soelmn look came across his face and he looked off into the harsh city streets he had grown up into and lived on for the past thirty or so years, "Is it a good picture?"

She nodded, "I think so. I need you to sign this and I need your name, age, and your adress." She produced a piece of paper - a release contract for the magazine she was shooting for at the time - and a pen; she handed these things to the man and then produced a small notebook and a pen for herself.

"Steven Jaredson," He said, softly, "I'm fifty-seven years old and I stay at South-Side." She looked up from her pad to question the man with her eyes. He didn't seem down in the dumps when she first met him, but now that he had revealed that he hadn't gotten out of the streets yet, he did look sad. She felt more guilty then than she had in a long time.

"I'm really sorry Steve -- I didn't know, but thank you for this." She said, holding up the paper and giving the man a pat on the back, "I'll come to see you in a few weeks - when the magazine comes out, okay?"

He smiled again, "I'll look forward to it."

She smiled back and managed to hail a cab, "Thanks again!" She clambered into the cab, "Fifth Street."

It was amazing how many things have changed since Skyler had gotten a divorce from Michael. She was gaining success as a freelance photographer for the first time in forever, and she was making a lot of money. She could also do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. For the first time in years, Skyler Halo Andrews was free.

* * *

She looked up at the big courthouse that the taxi had dropped her off at, walked up the steps, and headed inside. A black bumpy board with stark white plastic letters was attached to the wall to her left, and she turned to look at it. Obviously, she hadn't been to the courthouse in a long time and she didn't know what floor or room she needed to get to. She looked down the list, "Hmm."

"34 B, floor 3," Someone whispered to her. She recognized the voice, and turned around to confirm her fears. There he was, her exhusband. She let out an exsasperated sigh and shook her head. He looked the same as he had a year ago. His dirty blonde hair was still short, his eyes were still that light shade of blue that she used to love so much, and his skin was still that same natural tan with a little less than clear complexion. He had his flaws, and now, instead of loving them as she had previously, she despised him for all of them.

She took off up the marble staircase in a huff, Michael close at her heels. One floor, two floors, third floor. She took a right and wound up at the door that said **Divorce Court** on the door. She opened the door and walked inside, "Are you Ms. Andrews & Mr. Lions?"

Although they had been legally divorced for a little under a year now, they had not worked out all of the financial issues. Michael sued her for more than what he really should have for 'personal attacks on character' and 'emotional harm done'. She had decided to fight it, and being in a lower income bracket than her counterpart, thought for sure she would win the battle. He was a professional baseball player for God's sake, what did he _really _need her cash for? For spite, that's what. Skyler just didn't think that that was right and thus, they stood in the same room that they had eleven months ago.

The 'couple' nodded, "Follow me." The petite, plump woman with a mass of curly brown hair ushered them into a rather large, oaken room. It smelled like old coffee, restlessness, and unease; if such things had an aroma. "Judge Corrins will be with you in a minute. He just finished up with his other case, and he's actually rather grateful you're both so late."

* * *

"Sam, get me another one, this has been one hell of a day," The blonde said, laying her head on the bar and letting the cool wood soothe her eyes that had been made sore from crying. Despite her positive attitude and outlook on what she thought she would surely win, she had lost half of all she had owned in the court case, while Michael walked away with everything he wanted - including half of her priceless 1967 Shelby Mustang. The car she had worked so hard to get for the past year, and now she had to give Michael half of the money for it, or the car would be impounded by the State of New York.

Right now, her mind was somewhere between believeing firmly that God was just doing it all to spite her or - in a less Catholic view of things, that she had been the reincarnation of Atila the Hun or Adolf Hitler. Surely, she must of done something horrid in past lives, if such a thing existed that is, and now she was paying for it. All she wanted to do was drink away the pain, resentment, and pessimism.

"I dont think so, Skye. You've had three already and-" Sam began. He was ready to tell her to go home and sleep it off when someone else called his attention. Sam shuffled to his new customer, and when he came back, he had to slide a glass of Bacardi Raz in front of her.

"I thought I was done for the night Sam," She replied, taking a long drink out of the glass before he decided otherwise. He stared at her and shook his head.

"The guy with the bandana on his head in the leather coat bought you a drink. It's not policy to tell him no," Sam began, "Although I wish it was."

"...leather coat guy? Oh great, just what I need," She murmured sipping slowly at the rum & ice mixture. She smiled slightly as the warm, tingly feeling worked its way down her throat.

"He's coming over here," Sam mentioned and went back to some of his other customers. Skyler looked up and noticed a tall, tanned man of around her age coming towards her. She had to roll her eyes; Skyler knew this type all too well.

He approached, "Hey."

She glanced at him for a moment. It was too bad, this guy was alright looking - cute even, "Hi."

"What do you say we--"

"Stop, right there. I'm not into it. Thanks for the drink though," She said, trying to say as little as possible and to keep her mindset on going home and sleeping the next two days away and spending the next two nights in the exact spot she was in at the moment.

He looked at her for a moment, confused. Yeah, he was definitely the type she judged him to be at the beginning. Hell, he might not be a half bad guy, but she had decided after the divorce that relationships were evil. She wasn't exactly into evil.

"Look, I just got out of a divorce. He took half of everything I have, _and _he's the more successful one - being a pitcher for the Mets and all. I'm not looking for a relationship and I'm not into one night stands, so if you'd just go away that would be great." She said. It was odd to just spill her guts to a random stranger and all, but it wasn't anything that the guy in front of her couldn't read in a tabloid somewhere within the next four or so days.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy--" The guy began as another came up.

'Oh, great,' Skyler thought, 'Here comes another one.'


	3. Hello, brother

**Disclaimer: **I own the OCs and the plot. Not Disney. Not the Mighty Ducks. Not Charlie Conway, Dean Portman, or Fulton Reed. I don't own D-R-U-N-K by David Allan Coe, either. And as much as I would really, really want to, I don't own Josh Jackson either. HA! NOW YOU CANT SUE ME.

**Authors Note: **YAY for BASH BROTHERS & CHARLIE3

* * *

_I get **D-R-U-N-K**  
Every night about sundown  
I get a pain down deep inside  
This old broken heart acts up  
There's a hurtin' in my pride  
Well I've found a sure fire treatment  
That'll get me feelin' right  
When your memory starts flarin' up  
I just head for the neon lights_  
**_D R U N K - David Allan Coe_ **

"Dude, what _is_ Portman doing?" A brunette man of about twenty-five asked his friend, who was gazing into his beer bottle as if there was something interesting at the bottom of the bottle. "I thought he was supposed to be getting _us_ drinks."

The second looked up and over towards the bar, "He was? Well, if that's the case I would ditch us too." The woman Portman was talking to was a blonde. She looked rather annoyed as he tried hitting on her, tried being the key word here. She grew increasingly impatient looking as the conversation went on.

"Think we should rescue her now?" The brunette looked over at the man with the beer bottle seated across from him, "Fulton? Fulton. Earth to Fulton Reed, this is Charlie Conway speaking. How many beers have you had?"

Charlie looked at the table and saw seven placed in front of Fult, while a measly two were placed in front of himself. He shook his head and got out of the booth to help Portman realize the girl just wasn't into him. This was about the time that Charlie realized that this didn't often happen to Portman; actually, the only woman who had ever rejected him was Julie the Cat back in their Duck days - which have long since passed for most of them.

"Hey Portman," Charlie approached Portman and the girl he didn't know. "I think we should get Fult out of here. He's kind of ... off. I mean, I think he's had a few too many."

"My bash bro? Have too many? Never," Portman scoffed, then turned to look at his friend. He _did_ seem a little out of it, "Or maybe he could."

"Yea--"

"Wait a second. **Bash Brothers? **I know that from.. somewhere," The girl said and seemed as if she were trying to remember, "Oh, right. The uhm, hockey team, right? You guys were in the Junior Goodwill games, and uh, now you're the best defense the Chicago Blackhawks ever had!"

"So now she warms up," Portman rolled his eyes and left the woman to go help out his friend. Charlie, however, stayed behind.

"How did you know all of that?" He asked, "No one remembers all of that."

The girl shrugged as she got up after finishing off the glass of clear liquid, "I lived in Los Angeles at the time. I went to all the games with Aaron, my younger brother. I mean, who doesn't want to see their country's team win something sports related?"

"Charlie! Man, help me!" Portman called, and Charlie looked to the girl.

She shook her head, "No worries, I need to get home anyway. Sam! Samuel! Be a dear and call me a cab."

"Anything for you, Skyler," The bartender laughed and picked up the phone. When the blonde turned around, Charlie, Portman and their 'friend' were gone.

"Well, that was interesting." She murmured as Sam approached.

"What was?"

"Hockey players. Anyway, how late will the cab be?" She questioned her friend. The bar seemed to have slowed down in the past fifteen or twenty minutes; the counter itself had only three customers and the booths were emptying slowly. She wondered what time it was and looked up to the large clock hanging on the east side wall of the bar. It read 2:30 AM. No wonder.

"About ten or twenty minutes, they said," Sam said.

* * *

At around four, Skyler managed to peek outside of her white comforter and look around her dim room. The shades were pulled firmly shut and she was desparately happy that she had remembered to do that the night before. She stretched her arms above her head, giving a little bit of an "mm" sound as she did so. She finally mustered the energy to roll out of bed and press the 'play' button on her answering machine as she headed towards her bathroom.

"Message one," The cold computer voice stated and then was followed by the warm, caring voice of her brother, "Hey Halo. It's me, where are you? It's two and you're not answering your cell or this - obviously. I'm in town and I'll be over there tonight. If you're not there I'm going to get Sam to kick you out of the bar."

"As if," Skye murmured and listened to the machine say "end of message" before she began to pull off her tanktop. Another voice came over the machine, a voice she wanted to scoff at. "Hey, Skye it's me, Michael. Listen, don't worry about giving me the money for the car. I talked to the Judge and he said if it's alright with me, you don't have to. Call me back and we'll talk over the details."

"Talk over the details my ass," She murmured as she pulled off the boxers she was wearing.

"End of messages." The machine beeped and, relieved she didn't have to hear any more of the less-than-exciting news, she turned on the shower and stepped in.

After a long, refreshing shower the young woman began to get ready for what little of a day she had in front of her. She began by putting her hair up into more than a few velcro-rollers and sliding a robe over her otherwise naked body. She walked out of her bathroom and headed into her closet to pick out a suitable outfit. Although Skye never was one to try to impress anybody, or care about what anyone else thought, she did love to look nice.

Her closet was a full-sized walk in and was not stuffed to the max with either clothes or shoes. Actually, it was relatively empty; only half of the closet was filled and there was plenty of floor space. She examined the side that had clothes in it and, as she sifted through the suits, dresses, & tops she came about what was supposed to be the most important dress in her life - her wedding gown.

She looked longingly at the thing - not because she missed her sad excuse of a marriage but because she was disappointed in Michael and herself. She wanted so much more out of marriage than the emptiness that the divorce had left her with. It would of been nice to at least have happy times to think back to, or not - it probably would of added to the pain.

A knock at the door disrupted her thoughts, and she got up to answer the door. She opened it, and her gaze fell on her brunette brother. She was less than amused at his gesture of hydrangas and Pepsi. Skye rolled her eyes as he barged in on her, "You're so lame sometimes."

"Why gee, Halo, thanks for noticing that your only brother brought you your favorite nonalcholic drink AND your favorite flowers," The man replied, setting the flowers down on the table and disappearing into the kitchen, "You should get dressed by the way! I'm taking you out."

"That sounds wrong Aaron!" She called back, heading into her bedroom. She pulled a black sweater and a black & white stripped skirt from their hangers and shut herself in the bathroom to get ready. After pulling her clothes on, Skyler managed to pull the rollers out of her hair and put on some make-up. When she reemerged, Aaron was standing there.

"So, sis, how've you been since the divorce and all?" He questioned, wrapping an arm around her after she slippped on a pair of stilettos and grabbed her bag from her dresser. She simply stared at him after he asked the question.

"Remember what it was like when I found out that I was stuck with Dad travelling all the time, and that you got to stay with Mom here in New York?" She questioned, "Remember how much I resented you and how depressed I was even when I didn't show it?"

"Yeah, I remember you being irrational and repressing your feelings," He replied, good-naturedly, "Is that how you feel towards Mike?"

"Yes and no. With you, I didn't blame myself. I blamed you, and for some reason," She began as they headed down the stairs of the building in which her loft was located, "I know it's his fault. I know it's Michael's fault. He was the one who cheated, and yet I still blame myself."

"It's not your fault the marriage fell apart. It just wasn't right. He wanted someone else, and he clearly didn't have the balls to say so. You did it for him. There's nothing wrong with that Halo. Actually, I'm proud of you. You got out of being miserable, and just look!" Aaron said, going off onto a tangent of how her career was picking up and how she could now mingle with all the eligible bachelors. Little did he know what demons she was fighting. . .


	4. Walking By

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's so short, but it's something, right?

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own Disney, the Mighty Ducks, Charlie Conway, or anything affilated with such things. I own Aaron, and I own Skyler, aka Halo. I own the plot line too.

_

* * *

_

So why do you leave these stories unfinished,  
my Cheshire cat doorstop with tears in her eyes?  
Why do you look when you've already found it?  
What did you find that could leave you walking by?  
She was raised in a New England village.  
Then she moved to LA with her firefly stare,  
and you loved sunset strip when it sparkled,  
you grew up and you sparkled but why don't you care?

_**Walking By - Something Corporate**  
_

Skyler looked around Central Park, observing the small things; the birds picking at the food on the ground that the old people often threw to them during the day before it got dark out, the way that you didn't notice the pollution of the big city while you were in the park, and the way the trees were gently blowing in the wind.

"... So are you hungry?" Aaron asked, finally getting his sister's attention for the first time in more than half an hour. She managed to nod as they kept walking along. "So, what do you feel like? Pizza? Seafood? Chinese?"

The girl struck a small smile, "Chinese sounds really good right now."

"Alright, but we'll have to get a cab," He mentioned, to which she responded with another nondescript nod. She was more abosorped in her thoughts than she was with the small talk Aaron was providing. She could of been a good sister and kept up the conversation, making it less one-sided, but being raised by a father who was a prestigious Naval officer who treated her as an only child after he and his wife split up, conversation sometimes still didn't come easy to her.

"Halo?" Aaron asked, calling his older sister by her middle name had almost become a signiture for him. One Christmas when Skyler had come up to New York to visit her mother and brother, Aaron would always call her 'Haywo' after hearing his mother scold his sister using all three of her names. That scolding also ended up with poor Aaron asking why Halo had a different last name than they did. Skyler was never quite sure that their mother ever answered him, but he had to have figured it out by the time she moved in with them when she turned sixteen.

"Yes, Aaron?" She replied, softly as a cab pulled up at the edge of the park. They strolled quickly and got into it, "Chi-Wong's. Elventh and South."

"Yes'm," The taxi driver replied and began to drive.

"Are you sure you're okay, Halo? I could stay with you for awhile, if you want. I mean, I know the last financial case didn't go so well and I could help out, you know? I heard the Plaza has an opening for a sous chef," He began.

"Stop that," She objected, "You don't need to take care of me, Aaron. You would be crazy to take that job! You're overqualified for it! Sure, it will be hard the next few months after Michael unjustly screwed me over, but I'll make it. I'm getting steady work, and the New Yorker said they're interested in a new full time photographer since theirs is retiring next month."

"Really?" Her brother grinned, for once proud of his sister instead of being somewhat obnoxious or worried about her. It was surprising how inept their family was of each other's true wants and needs. It was also incredibly amazing how once the conversation turned to careers and successes the family was all ears.

She sighed, "Yes, really. Now can we stop talking about me?"

"No, your life is far more interesting than mine is. By the way, how are Sam and Nicole doing?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows at the last name. Aaron had always had a thing for Skyler's best friend, who happened to be a model as well as a married woman. Despite this, Skye couldn't help but laugh.

"Sam's doing great. Nicole's been really busy," She noted, "Her and Geoff are off in L.A. or Milan, I can't remember which. I'm pretty sure that Geoff needs to be back doing -- whatever it is he does, soon however."

"You still don't know what he does? I bet he's in the Ital--"

The cab came to a stop, "That'll be 15.40." The cabbie turned around and looked at the siblings expectantly, while Aaron turned and looked at Skyler expectantly. She sighed and dug through her purse, producing a bill with Jackson's face on it and handing it to their driver. He sighed and began to rummage through a change-purse that contained all of the bills for the day.

"Keep the change," She told him and got out of the car. Aaron followed suit somewhat languidly as the cab sped off down the road to pick up another customer, presumably.

"So, how is this place," Aaron began, "I don't think I've ever been here."

"No, you probably haven't," She replied, opening the door for him, and laughed at the irony of it, "Shouldn't you be opening the doors for me, bro?"

Her brother laughed, "You always did say that chivalry died! Besides, you were the one raised by General, not me." He was referring to their father; the man that had been so cold and so shallow that she was sure he pushed away their mother and any other woman who might of been interested during Skyler's teenage years. This is probably what caused Skylers somewhat outwardly cold demeanor and strangely elaborate sense of manners.

"Whatev--" She stopped as she noticed a certain someone who was staring at her from a corner booth, surrounded by several others who were similiar to his height and age. She didn't know whether to laugh because of the coincidence, or to cling to her brother because she had gained a new telepathic stalker (Although, the first would be more logical than the second.)


	5. So We Meet Again

**Author's Notes; **I know, it's been for-freaking-ever on this story. However, it hasn't been until today that I felt like booting up my OWN computer and putting this story up on FF. Sorry about the delay, hopefully I can do my best and pump out a few more chapters.

**Disclaimer; **Much as I'd love to, I do NOT own Charlie Conway, The New York Rangers, the Anahiem Mighty Ducks, Disney's Mighty Ducks, Russ Tyler, Adam Banks, OR Josh Jackson. Nor do I own Tom Petty or his lyrics.

* * *

_You and I will meet again  
When we're least expecting it  
One day in some far off place  
I will recognize your face  
I won't say goodbye my friend  
For you and I will meet again  
_**_You and I will Meet Again -Tom Petty_ **

"Halo.. Halo? Are you alright?" Her brother questioned as an elderly Chinese lady sat the siblings down right behind the table full of hockey players; from what she could tell she managed to identify most of them as New York Rangers, although two of them she hadn't seen before on the team. Perhaps they were unrelated to the field; they were not as sweaty, nor were they as anxious to eat.

Among the New York Rangers was one Charlie Conway who was, in fact, seated directly behind Skyler. She hadn't even thought about having had met him until that moment - meeting random men at bars happened quite frequently to her and mostly she didn't want to communicate with them. She would brush them off, just as she had brushed off Conway's friend the other night. The friend, by the way, was not presently at the restaurant. It seemed a bit curious to her, but when she thought about it, she had never heard of the Bash Brothers joining her second favorite hockey team in the past few weeks; that kind of thing is usually announced and publicized quite well. No, Portman and his unnamed friend were still a part of the Chicago Blackhawks

"Fancy seeing the back of your head here," The brunette man joked, causing the young blonde to face him, "If you remember who I am that is."

"I wouldn't have, had you not saved me from your 'friend'. Charlie, was it?" She questioned, causing her brother to get a very - confused, shall we say? - look upon his features.

Aaron and Skyler, by the way, were definitely recognizable as sister and brother. Their features were about the same, except for his more prominent chin and her less prominent nose. She was also more tanned than he was, as he spent most of his time in a hot kitchen indoors while she spent the majority of her workday outdoors collecting pictures of the city life.

"You two have met?" Aaron interrupted, "I thought you were being all reclusive and feeling sorry for yourself. I mean, that **is** what you said you were doing. Why did you lie to me?"

Skye chuckled, "I didn't lie. I was being reclusive - at my reclusive spot, at the end of a counter."

Aaron looked befuddled, until he remember that Skyler had become attached to **Duff's** and, in the late stages of her marriage and early stages of divorce when she was convinced there was no fixing what Michael and her had once had, had become a bit of a heavy drinker. She was not quite an alcoholic, but he was afraid that if she kept up her nightly visits to the bar she would become one.

Still, Aaron seemed skeptical of her making a new 'friend', if you could call Charlie a new friend.

"Oh, she was. When I met her she was desparately trying to get Portman to leave her alone," Charlie began, stepping in to explain for Skye.

"Portman was at it again!?" A slightly heavy-set African American man questioned in his somewhat comedic tone. "Man, he never gives it a rest does he?"

"No, but why should he?" A different man at the table replied, "The ladies practically fall all over him." This man was pale with fair hair and light blue eyes. He was one of the two that was not sweaty and scarfing down his food as if it was the first he had seen in days.

"That sounded a bit on the queer side, Banksie," Charlie laughed, "It was almost like you were implying that Portman is good-looking."

"Yeah, right," The black guy laughed, "Charming? Sure. Attractive? Not so much"

"You're all queers," Skyler and her brother interrupted their battle over Dean Portman. They all turned and stared at the siblings in disbelief, then returned to their meal without a word.

"Anyhow," Charlie began, "Who are you with? Looks kind of like your brother, but for all I know he could be your boyfriend or something."

"No, no, Aaron over there is my brother, and a jerk at that." Skyler laughed as the waitress came up and Aaron attempted to throw a straw wrapper at her.

"What can I get you?" The young, oriental woman questioned in a dialect that was barely recognizable as English. She smiled brightly at the siblings as they smiled back at her.

"Wanton Soup for starters," They both replied, "And a Pepsi."

"Okay! Two orders Wanton Soup & Pepsi." She then scurried away to fulfill their orders and in a few brief moments came back with just what they had ordered.

"Anything else?" The lady asked, kindly.

"We'll have the sweet & sour chicken with brown rice and two eggrolls," Aaron spoke for his sister. The two always shared their meals at a chinese place for two reasons; one, the meals were always massive (more than Skyler could ever eat in her lifetime) and two, they had done it since they were little.

"And an extra plate, please," Skye added with a smile. The waitress nodded and again, scurried off to prepare their orders.

"So, what are you two doing later?" Charlie asked as they began to devour their wanton soup and fried noodles. It took a minute, but Skye eventually got her food down, took a drink of her pepsi and turned around.

"I dont know, probably nothing," She said.

Her brother managed to get down his food as well and then replied, "Why? What are you guys doing?"

Charlie shrugged as the rest of the team replied, "Going to the bar!" To which Charlie added, "We won our game again tonight, well except Banksie and Landon over there. Landon tweaked his knee halfway through the season, and Banksie's wrist has been acting up & couldn't play against us at the game."

"Oh, who do you play for?" Aaron questioned the meek man.

'Banksie' looked up at Halo's brother, "Anaheim Mighty Ducks."

Aaron's mouth formed the shape of an 'O' before going back to his soup. He looked awfully content with eating when the Chinese lady returned with the plates of sweet and sour chicken. His eyes lit up at the most delicious chicken he had ever seen and pushed away the soup as Skye did the same thing. The lady took both of the bowls away and let the two eat their food in peace.

"You guys think you're up for hanging out for a while at the bar?" Charlie questioned. When he said 'you guys', he only really meant Skyler, Aaron could tell that even through the munching of his scrumptous chicken.

"Sure," He replied without any response from Skyler. The hockey players all got up after another few minutes, and Charlie followed suit.

"So, we'll meet you at **Duff's** then?" He asked, smiling at Skye as he got out his wallet.

She smiled back, "Will do."


	6. The Girl She Used To Be

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, blah, blah blah.

**Author's Note**: The first chaper of Vulnerable I've posted in for-fucking-ever, but I really love this story so... enjoy? PLEASE COMMENT :)

_

* * *

_

_She was full of life  
Looked on the brighter side  
If it was worth a chance she'd take it  
Said that life is what you make it  
But a few wrong moves led to a few wrong turns  
And once your burned your not the same  
You tend to shy from the flame  
I hate to think shes givin up her dream  
**Have You Seen That Girl by Lee Ann Womack**_

Skyler and Aaron watched as ten or twelve hockey players got up and shuffled out of the restaurant after paying their bill and leaving a rather handsome tip. Aaron's eyes turned to Skye as hers followed Charlie down the street. His face got that 'I know what your thinking' look on it; the look he had often used when Skyler would go to 'hang out' with one of her boyfriends when she was in high school or college.

"That's cute," He laughed, "Real cute, Halo."

She looked back at her brother, unamused, "What now?"

"You like him," Aaron smiled brightly, "And don't say you don't, cause I can see it that you do."

"I wouldn't go that far, Aar," She said, "He's just - nice, that's all."

"Uh, huh. I've heard that before," Aaron then began to list off most of Skye's exboyfriends including "her asshole of an exhusband", as she so refered to him when Aaron brought him up, Michael.

Halo rolled her eyes, "Whatever Aaron. Are you getting the bill or am I?"

"I will," He replied, pulling out his rough-looking black leather wallet. Once, the wallet had been gorgeous but Aaron often let things go; the wallet was no exception. Skye rolled her eyes as Michael threw enough money on the table for the two of them and a 15% tip. They both got up and headed to **Duff's**.

When they entered, nearly 45 minutes after the Rangers had left the Chinese place, they noticed many things: One, Sam was dancing on the bar for a tip from a petite woman with dirty blonde locks that Skye had never before seen; Two, someone had taken Skye's spot at the end of the bar; Three, the bar was packed, unusually so at that; and, finally, that Charlie was waving them over to the largest table at the back of the bar.

Aaron laughed, "It's really sort of pathetic." He made a face, then continued as they shuffled their way around many customers and a few dancing couples, "How obvious it is that he likes you."

Aaron didn't know what it was, but slowly, he was changing his mind about the hockey player. It was changing from skeptical to promising; this was something that Skyler was obviously frazzled over. She was in no way ready for a new relationship, and as much as Aaron thought she was, nothing could change her mind.

"Ha, ha." She replied as they finally reached the young hockey player, "Hey. Do you happen to know why so many people have invaded my favorite bar, or why Sam is dancing on the bar like some common tramp?"

"Uh, no." Charlie said, slurring his words just a tad. 45 minutes of drinking with a hockey team - yeah, you'd probably be a little on the drunk side too, "I think he's trying to impress her though."

Skyler couldn't help but chuckle. Sam? Trying to impress a girl? Yeah, right. Usually Sam picked up ladies without even trying to; what he lacked in facial features and in body, he definitely made up for in personality and morals. He was not your typical guy, and that was why Skye was such good friends with him. She wondered briefly if Sam had been sneaking drinks under the bar, and then realised that Charlie was talking to her.

"Huh?" She questioned, embarassed at ignoring him - even for a few seconds. She felt bad - always having been the type of person who listened no matter what (she had put up with five or so years of marriage with Michael after all, and all that man had talked about was baseball).

"I asked if you wanted something to drink," He repeated, smiling at her.

She felt herself nodding yes, dumbly, and felt herself grow inarticulate. He stared at her and then she smiled, "I can get it."

"No, no. Stay here, I'll get it. Just tell me what you want." He said in an insisting tone.

Strangers + Drinks = DATE RAPE. That was what was going through her head at that moment, and like the savior he sometimes was, Aaron appeared with Bacardi Raz on the rocks and shoved it into Skye's hand, to which he responded, "You're welcome."

She smiled somewhat smugly at Charlie who returned with, "Once that one's empty, I'm buying you a drink."

_________________

"Since when has Charlie been the agressive, 'I've got to have that girl' type of guy?" Banks questioned Russ as they sat at a booth, drinking a couple of beers but not even close to drunk. Correction, _Russ_ wasn't near drunk; Adam's line between sobriety and tipsy was blurring considerably.

"Not sure man," Russ replied, "He was always pretty agressive about getting the girl he wanted during high school though. Linda, Macy, Danielle. . ."

Adam stared at Russ for a minute, "I forgot about them."

Russ laughed and shook his head, "I think you'd better slow down Banks."

"Besides that, it's been awhile, hasn't it? A few years at least," Adam explained - moreso to himself than to Russ. Correction, again, the blurred line was long gone; Adam was simply drunk. He had always been a lightweight; this was probably due to his lack of body mass. Charlie, Fulton, Portman, and even Julie had drank Adam under the table plenty of times during Senior year of high school and later in College as well.

"What are you two talking about?" Jack, one of the left wingmen for the Rangers, questioned. He had finally returned from his piss, which had really turned into a search for a woman he found suitable. Since there was no woman with him, we can all assume that Jack didn't find any girl worthwhile.

"I thought you were on a mission," Russ said, then taking a gulp of the beer in front of him, "To find one fuckable girl out there." Russ was indeed mocking his teammate. Jack, the signature womanizer of the team, often annoyed many of the other players with his cocky attitude.

"They're all with men, or ugly," Jack replied, "Anyway, what were you guys talking about? It seemed interesting, to say the least."

Russ motioned over to Charlie and Skye who were looking a bit more cozy now, "Although, they weren't that flirty earlier."

__________________

"Why isn't there one decent girl in the place tonight?" Aaron fretted, sitting down across from his sister, "Halo, your bar sucks."

Skyler shrugged, as she finished off her glass of Raz. Promptly, Charlie stood up, and took the glass to the bartender. Aaron stared at his sister, "I told you so."

She sighed, "We'll talk about it later."

"You know, with Sam still dancing on the bar, and Barbara being the only bartender on shift, Charlie won't be back for a while," Aaron remarked, staring inquizitively at her. She glared back at him as another one of the Rangers filled the spot that Charlie had left. It was a tad bit of a relief for only one reason: Aaron couldn't be Drill Sargent and question her anymore.


	7. Times Like These

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Mighty Ducks. Disney, however, does.  
**Author's Note: **I've decided to go on a posting spree! Yay!

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_I am a new day rising  
I'__m a brand new sky  
To hang the stars upon tonight  
I am a little divided  
Do I stay or run away  
And leave it all behind?  
It's times like these you learn to live again  
It's times like these you give and give again  
It'__s times like these you learn to love again  
It's times like these time and time again  
**Times Like These by the Foo Fighters**_

Charlie stood somewhat impatiently at the bar, watching the tendress work her way to each waiting customer in a hasty fashion. She was five people away from him, and from what Charlie could see of her, she wasn't exactly a spring chicken. 'Barbara' was a woman in her late forties and owned the bar after her husband, Duff, had died of a massive heart attack several years earlier. Charlie didn't know any of this at the time, but found this out later from Skyler who had, in fact, been good friends with the older lady for quite some time. Skye even attended Duff's funeral.

"What can I get you?" Barb had finally made her way to Charlie, and right in the nick of time.

"Uh, a Bacardi Raz and a Sam Adams," He said. Barb scurried off to get the drinks while he observed his team-mate trying (and failing, miserably) to put his arm around Skye. Skye finally got fed up and moved to the spot next to Aaron at the end of the table. Barb handed him the two drinks and he, in turn, handed her the money. Charlie made his way back to the table and handed Skye her drink. Jack was no where to be seen.

"What is it with your friends and trying to get into my pants?" Skye questioned Charlie.

"Wow, Skye, way to be blunt about it," Aaron chuckled.

"And in less than a week time span, too," She said thoughtfully, "Am I better looking than I was before my divorce or what?"

"You're not wearing a wedding ring, that helps," Her brother responded.

"Ah, well, I suppose you're right about that then," Skye shrugged innocently at her brother.

"Wedding ring?" Charlie questioned. Since Portman had failed to mention Skye's rant about her divorce and her exhusband being a jackass, and Skye had not told him anything about it in the short four or so hours they'd known each other, Charlie had no idea what was going on.

"I was married, once upon a time," Skye said, somewhat awkwardly, then laughed, "It's not something I'm proud of."

"You made it closer to the American Dream than I have," Aaron responded.

"You date girls based on how easy they are to get into bed, not based on their personality or morals; if you did, you would have had a perfectly succesful marriage and--"

"Huh," Charlie murmured, setting down the drink in front of her as he sat down.

"What?" The siblings stared at him. Sometimes, you would swear they were twins by the way they acted.

"I suppose you want to know all about it, huh?" Skye asked, "Or at least, if you want to get to know me."

Charlie nodded; usually he was more articulate than this, but a combination of shock and alcohol proved to stupify the otherwise intelligent man.

____________________

"I KNOW WHERE I KNOW HER FROM!" Alex, another Ranger, exclaimed to his end of the table. They stared at him, full of questions.

"Who?" Russ questioned.

"The girl. Sara or whatever her name is," Alex replied.

"Huh? Oh, you mean Skyler?"

"Yeah, her, the blonde," Alex nodded, "She was married to the pitcher. Fuck, his name was Linder or something - for the Mets. Jack, you know who I'm talking about, don't you?"

Jack nodded, faintly, "Michael Lions. Real big playboy, bigger than me, even."

"Then how was she married to him?" Russ questioned, "I mean, if he's worse than _you_."

"Watch it Tyler."

"What? You have admitted it yourself," He replied, "You are an asshole."

"Don't know. I think they got divorced last year," Alex said, taking a long swig of beer and ignoring Russ' previous comment.

___________________

"A baseball player?" Charlie questioned.

"Mhmm," Skye began, "I met him in college. I don't know what it is about athletic guys, they just ---"

"Are attracted to you like a moth to a porch light?" Her brother suggested.

"Guess so," She replied.

"So, let me get this straight. You met Mike in college, during some business class, and started dating then?" Charlie questioned, earning a nodd from both of them, "Then you got married."

"After college, in Boston," She replied, "I was doing photojournalism there."

"Then he got signed to the Mets and you moved back to New York," He said, "And quit your job."

"I had no reason to work."

"You didn't?"

"No."

"When she says she had no reason to, what she means is that Michael didn't want her to. He wasn't one of the most trusting people." Aaron mentioned. Ah, it all made sense now.

"So is that why you got divorced?"

"No, we got divorced cause he couldn't keep it in his fucking pants," Skye replied bitterly; it still stung like it was a fresh wound - everytime someone brought it up, it was like someone pouring alcohol on a fresh cut.

"Oh."

"Yeah," She replied, "Still want to hang out again sometime?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Charlie said with a nod. Then grinned, "That is, if you're still willing."

She nodded and realized some time afterwards, when she herself was quite drunk actually, that she had just planned a date. All her reservations were subdued by the alcohol, but by morning they would hit her like a ton of bricks. She looked over at Charlie, her eyes glazed over slightly from the alcohol, and numbly sighed. He reminded her of Michael, not in looks, not in personality, but he reminded her of him in some small insignificant way. She sighed again, wishing that a year would have been enough time.

Skye looked over at her brother, "Aar, Aaron we should get going."

"What? Why?"

"It's getting - early," She said, her voice struggling over the loud music, "I'm tired."

"You're sleepy?"

She nodded.

"Alright, we can go," Aaron nodded.

Slowly and shakily, Aaron and Halo made it over to Charlie, who was laughing about something or other. Halo laid a small hand on one of Charlie's broad shoulders, and said, "We're going back to my apartment, it was nice seeing you again."

He nodded, and got up, "I'll be right back."

The trio fled to the front of the bar and then outside into the crisp late autumn air. Halo shivered as the air hit her bare legs, chilling her considerably. Aaron hailed a taxi more easily than Skye ever had and Charlie turned to her, "I'll see you soon."

She smiled dully, "Yeah."

He hugged her goodbye and watched as the siblings clambered into the taxi and drove off. He sensed, even through the drunken state of his mind, that she was hesitant - resilient to seeing him again. He pulled out a napkin that Aaron had scribbled her number down on for her, and looked back at the bar. Even if she didn't want to see him, he knew that he could find a way to make her see him for him.


	8. Because of You

**Disclaimer: **Disney Corporation owns the Mighty Ducks.  
**Author's Note: **A bit shorter than usual and dialogue heavy. Sorry about that.

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_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid  
I lose my way  
And it's not too long before you point it out  
I cannot cry  
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes  
I'm forced to fake  
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life  
My heart can't possibly break  
When it wasn't even whole to start with  
_**_Because of You_- Kelly Clarkson**

The dull drone of a vibrating cell phone and the bright morning sun are what woke Halo up the next morning. She heard a light snore from Aaron in the living room before reaching out and answering the phone.

"What?" The groggy voice that escaped her was almost unrecognizable.

"Finally you answer! I've been trying to get in touch with you for three days now Skye!" Michael scolded her for her lack of communication with him. Although, if he would have thought it through, he probably should have realized she didn't want to communicate with him at the moment, or ever again.

"I've been busy," She found herself saying, "What do you want?"

"Can we meet up for lunch?" He questioned, "We have to talk about some things."

She groaned, finding herself dreading even the thought of seeing him again, "I suppose we can do that, but be aware that Aaron's coming with me."

"Aaron's in town?"

She rolled her eyes, "Where do you want to go, Michael?"

He named a place along with a time, and then hung up. Regretfully, Skyler found herself rolling out of bed and getting to the bathroom in one piece. After showering, putting her hair up in rollers, and moisturizing her face, she tried to wake Aaron who was not budging for any reason short of the building burning down to the ground. Skye sighed and walked into her closet, she reemerged ten minutes later in a white lace cami with a pin-stripped black blazer over it. Her legs were covered by dark washed jeans, and her feet were adorned with turquoise patent-leather pumps.

Sure, she was going to see her exhusband who she clearly resented, but that was no reason to look sloppy. If she looked put together, she would look like he hadn't hurt her and that was what she was going for after all. She was doing fine without him, and she didn't want it to look otherwise.

After taking the rollers out of her now-dry hair and applying a bit of make-up, Halo hurriedly caught a cab and arrived at the little diner that Michael liked so much. The rusty-colored brick building mixed into the neighborhood's aesthetic, but the deep purple awning stood out like a sore thumb. Back when they were married, Michael had frequented this place, apparently he loved the greasy food and bad coffee, while she loathed it. She took a deep breath and pulled open the glass door.

Instantly, she was engulfed in the smell of frying bacon and blackened coffee. She held back the vomit and walked over to the corner booth where Michael was sitting reading a tabloid with Alien Babies on the cover. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she sat down across from him. Mike's eyes drifted up to her tanned face which was framed with her wild golden locks. Skyler sighed, she hated when he stared at her and she always had.

"I thought you said Aaron was going to be with you," Mike said, folding the paper and setting it beside his plate and cup of coffee. A waitress approached and recognized Skye almost immediately. She came back with a glass of apple juice and left quietly, "So, where is your meddling brother?"

"Well, you know Aaron - he never has been much of a morning person and he didn't meddle, I know you think he put all these thoughts into my head about breaking it off with you, but really," She took a drink of the juice, "Aaron's opinions were the furthest thing from my mind when I handed you the papers."

Michael rolled his baby blues, "Do you have a steady job yet?"

"Why do you want to know? So you can start getting your less-than-deserved paychecks?" She questioned, "You lying sack of-"

"Skyler that's enough," He said firmly, anger raising in his veins as well as hers, "But, no. I just wanted to know how you were doing without me."

"I never needed you," She told him, "But yes, the New Yorker offered me a job and I took it." There was an uncomfortable silence between them, and then Skyler began again, "So you said something about allowing me to keep the car that you had nothing to do with."

"I was thinking about it, but I think I've changed my mind what with the way you've been talking to me and all," He replied, "Besides, you never drive the damn car, it deserves a good home."

She rolled her eyes, "A lifelong conquest and you're going to take it away from me. You know, you really are a heartless bastard."

"And you're an uptight bitch."

"I'm not uptight, and even if I was I would have my reasons-"

"What reasons?"

"Must I remind you, Michael Lions, that you were the one who humped half of Broadway's cast while we were still married?" She questioned, "You don't even deserve to talk to me anymore."

There was a very long pause after this, and Michael took something out of his coat pocket, a piece of paper of some kind, "I'll give you this - it's the papers for your car, but only if you tell me something."

"What would you like to know?"

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"Define: Seeing Anyone."

"Dating, Screwing, you know, that sort of thing."

She sighed, "I wouldn't say that I was dating no, but there is some one interested."

"Are you interested in him, as well?"

She shrugged, "Well, I don't know Mike. After you did what you did, I'm not sure I want to get close to any form of male in a relationship kind of way."

"Fair enough," Michael told her, handing her the slip of paper, "See you later."

"I hope not," She said, albeit under her breath, as she got up from the table and threw a five on the table for the juice. She slipped the piece of paper into her blazer's pocket and headed back onto the street in front of the diner. The crisp autumn air hit her in a refreshing way and for the first time since their divorce, Skyler finally felt free of him.

But, she didn't feel free of the pain he had caused her. She sighed, walking down the street with her hands in her pockets and focusing on the sidewalk as she slowly passed by the buildings. Soon enough, she found herself staring at Madison Square Garden. It was in the distance, sure enough, but she could see it nonetheless and it only reminded her of one person.

**Charlie. **


	9. Take A Chance On Me

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's taken so long to get anything posted. But summer vacation is coming and chapters should come up quicker then. :) Also, sorry about how much dialogue there is in this chapter...

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If you need me, let me know, gonna be around_  
_ If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down_  
_ If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown_  
_ Honey I'm still free_  
_ Take a chance on me_  
_ Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie_  
_ If you put me to the test, if you let me try  
_**Take a Chance On Me - Abba

* * *

**_  
_

Charlie let out a huff and threw his helmet on to the bench beside him. Practice hadn't been particularly hard for the twenty-seven year old male, but he had been distracted today thoughts of Skyler. Some of the other guys on the team were giving him shit for begin so "sprung" by a girl who he hardly knew, but Charlie knew that the woman was special. He sensed that something about her was different, and he knew that she was more than just some conquest as his team mates would have liked to think.

"Get on home now," The coach barked, "And don't be so hung over tomorrow!"

Charlie and the others stood and shuffled out of the box as they headed for the locker room. After sufficiently showering and getting redressed in street clothes, the athletic brunette headed for his old green Mustang that was parked a mile from Madison Square Garden's training center. It would be at least an hour drive home, and after that he felt like doing nothing more than sleeping his day away.

The long drive went by slower than usual, due to construction, and Charlie found himself day dreaming. "Fuck," He murmured, noticing that he was only thinking about Skyler. So, as he sat at a standstill, he picked up his cell and scrolled to Halo's number. He clicked send to her cell first, but no one answered. So he called the house number Aaron had given her.

"Yello, this is the Anderson residence, how may I help you?" Aaron's voice greeted Charlie's ears. He thought about hanging up, but refrained. Being a coward wasn't his style.

"Hey Aaron, is Skyler around?"

"_Charlie?_" He questioned, "No, Halo went out somewhere. She should be back soon."

"Oh." Charlie replied, somewhat disappointed. If he were being honest with himself, he would have said he was extremely disappointed that Halo wasn't around. At the moment, however, he was rejecting reality.

"Hey, do you want to come over here? I know Halo _says _you're just friends, but . . ." Aaron trailed, "Just come over. She'll be happy to see you."

"Are you sure, man?"

"As sure as I am the Sahara desert is hot," He replied, "Just come over."

"I would, but I'm not sure where Halo lives." Charlie replied as traffic _finally_ began picking up. He pulled forward slowly.

"She lives at 198 East Boulevard, Apartment 3." Aaron said, "It's . . ."

"I know where that is, Aaron," Charlie chuckled, "I'll be there in ten minutes at most."

Ten minutes later, Charlie was walking up the stairs to the massive third floor loft. He knocked twice on the door and was surprised to see the blonde woman when the door opened. She blinked at him, "Stalker, much?"

Charlie allowed for a crooked smile that he hoped came out as modest as he had intended it to, "I called, earlier. Aaron said I should drop by."

Skye raised one of her nearly perfect brows at him, "Did he?"

Aaron smiled innocently from his spot on the couch, not that Skyler could see that, and paused whatever video game he was playing, "I figured there wasn't any harm in having company every now and again."

"Well, you might as well come in." She side stepped allowing the 6'3" brunette to enter her abode. "We're not doing anything special, just, you know, playing Sega Genesis."

Charlie laughed, "Sega? Well, that's rare."

Halo shrugged, "I prefer the old school gaming counsels: Sega, NES, Super Nintendo."

"And, you have all of them?" Charlie asked as he followed the surprisingly well-dressed blonde to her low-backed turquoise colored sectional. Skye nodded as she sat down beside her brother and snatched the controller as he dangled it in front of her.

The sectional looked just as comfortable as it felt when he plopped down beside Skyler. He looked around as they finished up a round of Sonic the Hedgehog. Apparently, they had been continuing an ongoing tournament from last time Aaron was in town.

They were neck-and-neck, Halo explained, and she would not allow such blasphemy as her brother kicking her ass at her own game in her own home.

He looked around, noticing that she had games for every system and that the shelving unit below the plasma tv (a gift from the Colonel, she had explained before he could ask) held a system that appeared to be able to play all three types of games. There was also an old, beat-up VCR, a DVD player, and the DVD case for Never Been Kissed was sitting atop the player.

The floors were wall-to-wall hardwood in a medium finish that was still glossy from wax. The windows were facing the city showing off a good view of the neighborhood below them. There were deep beige curtains hanging from silver rods above the windows which draped all the way to the floor. Against the opposite wall was a huge book case with a multitude of books, DVDs, videos and other forms of media. There were a few picture frames on the shelves, as well as little figurines, book ends and a bed for a cat or dog that he hadn't seen yet.

It appeared that there was only one other room, in the south-east corner of the apartment, and it was more than well-sized for a bedroom. Later, he would find out that in the only closed off portion of the loft, there was a bathroom and a bedroom with a walk-through closet connecting them. There was only one way into her bedroom, and that was through the bathroom.

The kitchen was in the corner opposite the bedroom/bathroom and adjacent from the sectional and television where they were seated. It was wide open with stainless steel appliances, a center island, and even a small bar with a plethora of liquor bottles, almost all of them half-full or empty.

"Nice place, by the way," Charlie complimented.

"Huh? Oh thanks," Skye replied with a graceful, apologetic smile.

"If you think her loft is nice, you should see her car," Aaron told Charlie with an evil grin.

"Car?" Charlie asked, skeptically, "What kind of car?"

"Mustang, Shelby to be exact," Aaron began, in an effort to distract her.

"You've seen Gone in 60 Seconds with Nic Cage, yeah?" She asked as she continued playing Sonic and trying to kick her brother's ass.

"Uh, huh," He replied.

"Well, my car's exactly like Eleanor," She replied, "It was my ... indulgence after the divorce."

"Pretty damn nice indulgence," Charlie smiled. She paused the game and looked over at him.

"He almost took it away from me, too," She began, " I agreed to see him today so that I could get the title, actually."

"Is that why you're not wearing flannel pants like your brother," The hockey player chuckled.

She nodded as Aaron sneakily pressed the 'Start' button on her controller and used his few free seconds to gain the extra golden rings, which allowed him to win the tournament.

"This isn't over, brother," She replied.

Aaron grinned, "Oh, it's never over. What is this? The tenth year of Sonic tournaments?"

She nodded, "We're just both much too stubborn to _agree_ to who lost or won. The rematches are fun, though."

"Yeah, unless you win."

"Cheater."

"I'm hungry," Aaron replied, as his stomach growled loudly in confirmation. It took the focus off her calling him out on his wrong-doing and back to the facts of life. "I haven't eaten yet today."

"You, the five-star chef," Skye rolled her eyes, "are the most pitiful creature I've ever seen when it comes to feeding _yourself_."

"We should go eat, Skye, I'll even pay again," He replied in a pitiful attempt at sucking up to her.

"You'd have to get dressed."

"My hunger outdoes my laziness at the moment," He replied, getting up and grabbing a duffle as he headed to the bathroom.

"Are you hungry too?" She asked, standing up and stretching from her previously hunched over position. Charlie heard a few audible cracks from her back and knees. As she stretched her arms above her head, the tiny white tank top that covered her abs and chest rode up exposing a flat stomach and part of a tattoo that sat low on her body. He wanted to keep staring, but looked away to avoid her thinking he was some kind of pervert.

She laughed, "Well, Charlie?"

"Huh?"

"Are. You. Hungry?" She repeated, letting her arms drop back to her sides. She walked over to the TV and pushed the power button. The screen faded from the eye-bleeding bright blue to a dull grey.

"Yeah," He replied, finally wrapping his mind around the question. "I am, actually."

"You can follow Aaron and I in your car, if you want." She mentioned in passing. Charlie, on the other hand, was still distracted by the thought of her _amazing _body. He was only half listening and barely paying attention as she and Aaron discussed where to go for dinner, and then as he followed them down the stairs and out to his own mustang. It was only when he saw her car that he finally snapped out of the daze he had been in.

She grinned as she sped away, down the surprisingly empty New York street, and from that moment, Charlie knew that he would never be able to get her out of his head.


	10. Hanging By A Moment

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Mighty Ducks. Charlie Conway and other canon characters belong to Disney Corporation.  
**Author's Note: **Finally getting 'round to writing some more fanfiction. (: Maybe I'll finish the other stories on my account, too.

* * *

_I'm falling even more in love with you _  
_Letting go of all I've held onto _  
_I'm standing here until you make me move _  
_I'm hanging by a moment here with you _  
_I'm living for the only thing I know _  
_I'm running and not quite sure where to go _  
_And I don't know what I'm diving into _  
_Just hanging by a moment here with you  
_**"Hanging By A Moment" - Lifehouse **

**TEN. **

"The cheese bread here is magnificent," Skyler told her brother as she sat down in the booth that the lanky, raven-haired maitre d' directed them to. He was quite obviously staring at her chest, and if it was bothering Aaron, it was downright pissing off Charlie. Aaron sat down across from his sister, and Charlie sat next beside her nonchalantly.

"Your server will be back in just a moment," The man said in an almost unbearably fake accent before he stalked back to his podium to seat other customers.

Skyler stared at the brunette sitting beside her with a grin of amusement on her feminine features, "So, what are you? My knight in dented tin foil?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked, turning to stare at her, "What're you talking about?"

"The guy was a skeeze, you could have sat next to Aaron which would have been more appropriate, but you didn't." She replied, pointedly. She expected him to flush a bright red, but he didn't. He simply shrugged as he crossed his arms in front of him with his elbows set on the table. "You're going to take some getting used to, Conway."

"We're on a last name basis now?" He asked, raising a brow and giving her the most adorable facial expression that made her want to hug him. She resisted the urge and turned to look at her brother.

"So, jerk-face, what're you getting?"

"Jerk face?" He questioned. "You can take care of yourself, and I'm ordering the spaghetti."

"Sometimes it's nice to have someone to look out for you," she replied.

"You're older than I am, you should look out for _**me**_**, **and I didn't see you trying to save me from potential date rape when that cougar was trying to get into my pants."

Charlie couldn't help it, he laughed at the very thought of an older woman hitting on Aaron. Aaron, in turn, glared at Charlie and Halo was just thankful that he didn't have his spaghetti yet. If he would have, there would have been a full blown food fight. She sighed and finally, the server appeared (seemingly out of thin air!) and asked for their drink orders. They all got an alcoholic beverage of their own choosing (Charlie got beer, Halo got a rum and Pepsi, and Aaron found his poison in a glass of red wine), and went back to chatting about whatever.

They found themselves somewhat intoxicated as they headed out into the dark streets and hailed a cab back to Halo's. Before Skyler even knew what she was doing, she turned to Charlie, turned her face towards his slowly, and planted a long, full kiss on his lips. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and she leaned into him and against his well-muscled chest.

For the first time in years, Halo felt safe, and warm, and like she had someone she could count on. Of course, she took into consideration that she was more than a little drunk, and that such a state could alter her feelings. But, while she was there, Halo might as well enjoy the experience.

Charlie pulled away, laughing lightly, and kissed the top of Halo's head. She was too drunk to notice that she was cold, as well as shivering beneath his arms. When the cab pulled up to them, Charlie helped her to clamber into the back of the car and followed her in. It was a short drive to her flat, and by the time they got there they both knew that he would end up in her bed that night.

And he did.

"Halo? Hey Halo, you make it back home okay?" Aaron's voice echoed throughout the dead loft and reverberated into her bedroom a few seconds later. Halo groaned, rolled over, and proceeded to cuddle into the body beside her. "Halo… oh, well, that's interesting."

The phone began to ring almost simultaneously as Halo opened her eyes and looked up at her brother from the bed. She numbly fumbled to grasp it and lazily cradled it between her ear and chin. "Hello?"

"_Skyler Lyons, ex-wife of Mets ballplayer Michael Lyons, was spotted late last night with professional Hockey sensation Charlie Conway. The two were outside of Antonio's when an unnamed source snapped this picture._" Michael's voice came to greet her ears.

"Oh, blow me Mike," She responded and hung up. She heard Charlie laugh, felt the way his body moved under the weight of her head, and remembered that she had gone home with him the night before. It was a good thing that there was no love for Michael anymore, because if there had been, she would have no way to make up to him for something like this.

"Morning," He grumbled.

"Morning sunshines. Must say, I wasn't expecting you to be here Charlie," Aaron rambled. "Are you two naked under there?" He proceeded to lift up the covers, when both of them began to protest such action. Both of them were surprised to learn that neither of them had on less than underwear. Aaron left the room, his hands over his eyes in a 'see no evil' caricature of himself.

They lay there for a long time before either one of them made a move, and it was Charlie who rolled atop Halo and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him tenderly. She found that the safe warm feeling had not dissipated with her drunken state. This fact both worried and surprised her.

"Well, what did you do last night?" Halo asked as she sat across from her brother eating a serving of her his world famous Coq au Vin. She was not looking at him as she cut the chicken from the bone and stabbed the piece with her shiny fork.

Aaron smiled coyly, "Same thing you were, I suspect."

Halo looked up at her brother, and swallowed, without any enthusiasm, "Ha. Ha." She took a sip of the ice water that was in front of her, and continued to eat. Her brother smiled at her knowingly and went back to eating his own plate. Charlie had left hours before, for reasons unbeknownst to Skyler. She simply assumed that he was going to practice and did not particularly protest when he told her he had to go.

"Charlie's not like Michael," Aaron said seriously when he had finished his own plate of chicken, "He's not a dick, and I don't think he'd ever put himself before you if it came down to that."

"Aaron, why do you have to do that to me?" She asked, sullen, "I don't want to think about it. Besides, Dad's coming up. Do you really think he'd appreciate another professional athlete in my life at the moment?"

"Since when have I pretended to care what Dad thought?" Aaron retorted, smiling widely at his older sister.

She sighed, "Never?"

Aaron smiled, "Precisely, now let's get back to our Sega tournament. I'm leaving in a couple of days."

As they headed over to the couch, Halo couldn't help but feel her heart sink. Once Aaron was gone, she would be here all alone until their Dad came, and even then, her father was hardly the encouraging, warm kind of man. Her Dad would leave in two or three days, and she would fall back into her old habits of sleeping until mid-afternoon, completing a photo shoot in the city, and then making her way to Duff's for a few rounds.

Skyler did not suspect that anything would change between the times that her father left and at that current moment, but she was wrong – very wrong indeed.


End file.
